Lapsley announces run for District 3 seat

Tuesday

Feb 4, 2014 at 10:50 AM

Saying he will focus on economic development, infrastructure and public health, William “Bill” Lapsley announced today that he will seek election for the District 3 seat on the Henderson County Board of County Commissioners.

From staff reports

With a platform focused on economic development, infrastructure and public health, William “Bill” Lapsley announced Tuesday he will seek election for the District 3 seat on the Henderson County Board of Commissioners. Lapsley will face Commissioner Larry Young at the ballot box during the May 6 Republican primary. Young has held the District 3 seat for the last 12 years.A longtime community volunteer and professional engineer, Lapsley said his years of experience managing a successful business, as well as leading many of the area's nonprofit boards, would provide the Board of Commissioners with a wealth of technical and practical expertise.Lapsley said the quality of life in Henderson County is largely dictated by decisions of the commissioners, making their positions the most important for citizens to fill. “I think those five people need to be the best educated, the best trained and the most experienced people in a variety of topics that we can possibly get,” he said. Compared to Young, Lapsley said he believes his “qualifications, experience and community service exceed what he has offered to the board.”Over the past 40 years, Lapsley has served in volunteer positions with Pardee Hospital, Four Seasons hospice, the county's Department of Social Services, the Rotary Club of Hendersonville, United Way, Boy Scouts, YMCA and others. He currently serves on the board of UNC Health Care.The county owes Young “a debt of gratitude for his service,” Lapsley said. “I think he should be applauded. But I think after 12 years, it's time for a change.”Young ran unopposed during his last re-election, and Lapsley said he “kept waiting to see if someone else surfaced” before jumping into the race himself. He said the “community deserves a choice,” adding he's been “humbled by the overwhelming amount of support” he has received already.Hendersonville businessman Jeff Miller said in a statement that Lapsley “has an incredible knack for quickly understanding all sides of an issue, developing common ground and consensus and getting things done. I have seen these strengths in Bill at the board level and in the professional arena. He is simply one of the finest men I know.”Since his engineering firm has done “a considerable amount of work for the county over the last 30 years,” Lapsley said he will strive to avoid the appearance of any conflict of interest. First, he plans on retiring from William G. Lapsley & Associates this summer, regardless of the primary's outcome.If he's elected commissioner, Lapsley said he'll sell his share of the company's stock to two young engineers within the firm. “If and when my two successors take over, should they pursue a project to help the county, I would just recuse myself from the vote,” he said. In a news release, Lapley outlined three main planks of his campaign:• Economic development: “Our local economy must remain vibrant and strong to maintain the community services that we all enjoy. Support for our existing business community and attracting new, high-paying jobs in all sectors is a critical responsibility of the board. I have volunteered many hundreds of hours of my time toward this area as a past chairman of the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce and the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development. I have shared in the successful recruitment of Continental Teves, UPM-Raflatac, FedEx Ground & FedEx Freight, Prince Manufacturing, Elkamet, and more recently Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Empire Distributors of North Carolina.”• Infrastructure: “For our economic development program to work, it is imperative for our community infrastructure to be maintained properly and expanded when necessary. The board has a leadership role in this effort to make sure all components of our infrastructure are being addressed. This includes roadways, water systems, wastewater systems, electric power, communications, natural gas, etc. I have spent over 40 years in the planning, design, permitting and construction administration of all of these type improvements in Henderson County. The knowledge and experience that I will bring to the board is unmatched.”• Public health: “The community needs and deserves the highest quality health care services for all of our residents. This has been a particular interest of mine over the past 15 years. My experience with the Department of Social Services, Four Seasons hospice, the Pardee Hospital Board of Trustees and now the UNC Healthcare Board of Trustees provides a unique background to lead the county's efforts in all areas of public health.”Lapsley is a graduate of the University of Wyoming with a degree in civil engineering. He is a licensed professional engineer in North Carolina, South Carolina and other states. He and his wife, Joan Vanoli Lapsley, have lived in Henderson County for 40 years and have three grown sons, all of which were raised here and graduated from West Henderson High.

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